Purple Flowers
by MysticVeil
Summary: The District 6 female tribute was a mystery to everyone. Many thought she was just quiet, but I knew she was actually insane. Just like Annie Cresta. I grew close to her, and I discovered her secrets. But I couldn't protect her...


Not many people knew about the female tribute from District 6 who was chosen to go into the 74th annual Hunger Games. Aseria Edenthaw was different from other girls. She was not any more beautiful than Glimmer, and she did not have Katniss's fierce spirit or Clove's malicious attitude. She was insane. Her father died in her arms and it drove her crazy. Witnessing a death can drive someone to insanity. It's happened before many times in Panem. It happened to Annie Cresta. You could tell Annie was insane, just by the look in her eyes. That same look was on Aseria when I first saw her…

_I was watching the reruns of the reaping's. I didn't think too much about the tributes from 3, 4 and 5. But then the District 6 girl was announced, Aseria Edenthaw. She walked with her eyes cast down. She looked unhealthy and scrawny. Her black hair was very long, but it hung limp and lifeless down her back. When she joined her District escort, she looked up for the first time. The camera zoomed on her face. I thought she was pretty… but her eyes were scary. They were haunted. She was staring off into the distance, even as the escort was trying to talk to her. And then it hit me where I have seen that look before, Annie Cresta. I think the girl from District 6 is insane. I smirked, wondering how long she would survive in the Games. _

_o0o_

"_Cato, I'm hungry. Let's go," Clove grumbled who was tired of watching Marvel and Glimmer showing off their skills with a spear. I nodded and walked to the cafeteria with Glimmer, Marvel and Glimmer following. I got my food and joined the rest at the table and no sooner had I sat down, Glimmer began rambling on about the fashion in the Capitol and then she went on about how many guys she had back at District 1. Marvel was hanging on her every word but Clove finished eating and then left to go back to her knives. I wasn't paying attention to Glimmer or Marvel; instead I began looking around the room at the tributes. And once again my eyes fell on Aseria who was chewing on an apple. She had her legs up to her chest and one of her arms was wrapped around them and her head on her knees. Her district partner was talking to the tribute from 8 and she was once again staring at the wall. I tilted my head to get a better look at her, and that's when she noticed me. Her haunted eyes held mine, sending a small shiver through me. Her eyes were lilac, not uncommon for District 6. Last year, both tributes from 6 had purple eyes. I smirked at her; I always smirked whenever I didn't want to show any other emotion. She cast her eyes down and quickly put her apple on the tray and ran down the hallway. I decided to follow her. I shoved my tray at Marvel so he could throw it out and then went to find Aseria who was sitting with her back against a wall and had her head in her hands. I approached her, walking as quietly as I could. Luckily, she had chosen a spot that was hidden from the tributes that were training. She didn't seem to care that I was beside her, so I sat down. From what I had seen and heard, Aseria had not spoken a word since she came here. So she didn't say anything, of course, but I wasn't one to keep quiet. _

"_Aseria, is it?" I asked her. She slowly looked up at me, her eyes an icy lilac. She nodded and began scratching her finger. I saw scars along her finger, so she must do it a lot. But blood appeared soon as she scratched the delicate skin. _

"_Stop," I said and caught her hand. She seemed confused and then looked at the floor. She didn't seem to want me there so I stood and began walking back to the training room. _

"_I'm not crazy you know."_

_Her voice stopped me in my tracks. I turned to her, shocked. She quickly swallowed and looked away, almost looking ashamed. _

"_I thought you didn't speak?" I said. _

"_Usually I just don't have anything to say." her voice was soft but shaky, most likely because she hasn't spoken in years. _

"_Well… it's nice you decided to speak. Why don't you come and train? Unless you're planning to die?" I said. Instead of denying it, she shrugged and looked at the floor, her face blank and empty. I found it depressing that she didn't even bother lying to me and saying she wants to live. _

"_Come on." I said and held out my hand to her. She stared at it for a moment, debating whether or not to trust me. But I am not one to wait for someone; I am not the most patient person. _

"_Just come on, I won't hurt you." I grumbled. She finally took my hand and I yanked her to her feet, which caused her to bump into me. She blushed and looked at her feet. I smirked at her and walked to the training room, Aseria following. But once I got there, I walked away from her to join Clove. No sooner had I left Aseria, she ran over to the climbing station and quickly disappeared to the top. _

_o0o_

_It was nighttime and I was bored and not in the mood to sleep, so instead I went down to the training center. Technically, you weren't supposed to be in there after hours, but they would make exceptions for me. But once I got there, the lights were already on. I looked inside and my eyes travelled up the climbing station to where Aseria was perched on top. I stared at her and she caught my gaze. _

"_You know it is rude to stare at people without asking first." she said. Her face held the same blank expression it did before… she was empty again. Her eyes were lifeless. _

"_Sorry. It is also not good to be in the training center after hours. You should be sleeping." I responded and walked to the bottom of the station. _

"_Come up," she said. I didn't really want to, but she would probably not talk to me again if I didn't, so what the hell. It took me a while to climb up, but eventually I did and I stood on the perch that was just under Aseria's. It was a little freaky, so instead of looking down, I just looked at her. I didn't really look at her closely before, and I did not realize how delicate she looked. _

"_Why are you here?" I asked her, tilting my head to the side. _

"_I like it up here." she responded, her voice soft. _

"_Oh, I see." I said, and I noticed she had started scratching her finger yet again, making it bleed. I quickly grabbed her hand and pulled it away, but then the door flew open and there stood her mentor. I saw that he had a bottle of alcohol in his hands. He stumbled around and then spotted us. _

"_Get down here!" he yelled. Aseria scrambled down and I followed her. Once on the ground, her mentor stumbled over to us, and Aseria gasped and without thinking I put my arm out and pushed her behind me. _

"_What the fuck are you… doing?" he slurred and Aseria nestled into my shoulder and I straightened to my full height, which was taller than the mentor. But he didn't seem to notice. _

"_I asked what the… what are you doing? With him. Go to your room right now!" he yelled and shoved me out of the way and grabbed Aseria by the arm and yanked her to his side. And then he hit her. She whimpered and clutched her face, and I felt my knuckles clench. _

"_Get your hands off her, asshole." I said and grabbed him by his shirt collar. The bottle of alcohol dropped and shattered on the floor. But then he pulled out a knife and held it to my throat._

"_Leave me alone, boy. I can kill you easily." he sneered. Aseria shrieked and quickly grabbed her mentor and grabbed his arm and pulled him away from me, but I still had shreds of fabric in my hands from his shirt. _

"_Get off me." he grumbled and shoved Aseria away and then turned back to me. "I will deal with you later." he yelled at me and then grabbed Aseria and shoved her towards the door. She looked back at me once and I began to follow them, but she quickly shook her head. And then she disappeared out the door and I was left in the training center, my fists clenched to the point I felt blood on my fingers. I hated that mentor more than anything at that moment. _

_I didn't see Aseria at all the next day and I was very worried. I saw her partner who looked sad, and didn't say a word to anyone. I had planned to speak to Aseria that night, because it was the night of the interviews… but I couldn't. Aseria was the last to come in and she left immediately. But as she left, her hair fell of her shoulders and I saw several blue and black marks that her hair had been able to cover during the interview. I thought I was going to kill her mentor because I knew he had done it. But my mentor had seen how angry I was and forced me into my room and locked the door. I didn't see Aseria again until we were thrown into the Games. _

_o0o_

_It was a few days into the Games and I was on night watch. Everyone else was asleep, Glimmer was lying close to me and I was tempted to move her away to Marvel. I was listening for any noise, but so far the night was silent. The soft, fake moonlight cast a pale light on everything, making everything glow. I didn't feel remotely tired because I was used to staying up at ungodly hours. Suddenly I heard something rustle in the bushes just in front of me. I stood silently and stepped forward, my hand on my sword, ready to pull it out. But I didn't see Thresh or Katniss, as I thought I would, I saw Aseria. She looked weak and unhealthy, most likely because she hadn't eaten in days. _

"_Oh... hi there," I muttered. _

"_Hi." she responded quietly. She was swaying, like she was about to faint._

"_Are you ok?" I asked her. _

"_Hungry." she whispered. _

"_Give me a second." I said and then I ran back to the campsite and grabbed some food and water. I returned to Aseria, who was sitting on the ground with her arms around her legs. I knelt down and handed her the water bottle and food. She took it and smiled faintly at me. Her smile was pretty. But I knew she couldn't stay here. If any of the others found her, they would kill her in a second. _

"_Listen, you can't stay here. They would kill you in a second. I couldn't protect you from them. If you need anything, find me. I will do what I can." I told her. She nodded and stood up, but before she left, she turned and kissed me quickly on the cheek and then she ran away. I only saw her a few times after that, and it was only at night. I think she shadowed us throughout the day and then whenever I was on watch she would come to me. She would always have a different flower or plant when I saw her. They were useless for survival, but she would be so excited over them, as if they were jewels or something. I couldn't understand it. _

"_Look!" she whispered and opened her hands, revealing a small purple flower. I sighed and leaned back against the tree I was sitting against. We had moved a little ways away from the others so they couldn't hear us. _

"_Aseria, they're flowers. They're pointless here!" I hissed at her. _

"_No. Look at them." she responded softly and held them closer to me. I sighed again and looked down at the stupid things, only to find they were… glowing. They were glowing? How the hell is that possible?_

"_Uh…"_

"_See? They're special." she said, grinning. I couldn't help but smile at her, even in the Hunger Games; Aseria Edenthaw was able to find magic in even the simplest things. But then I heard Clove rustle behind me, and I turned to see if she was awake, and when I turned back Aseria had disappeared. I had no idea that would be the last night I would spend with her. _

_o0o_

_Everyone was dead, even Clove. Thresh was going to pay. I am going to make sure of that. I was still hunting him, running as fast as I could through the thick trees. I was so angry, I wasn't thinking about anything other than killing him. But then someone collided with me and we crashed to the ground. I pulled out my sword immediately, slicing the cheek of the other person. She let out a cry and only then did I realize who it was. I dropped my sword and scrambled towards her, taking her bleeding face in my hands. _

"_Look, at me! I'm sorry, I didn't know it was you." I told her. She was crying now, tears cutting through the blood on her cheek. She looked frightened of me, and I kept my hands on the side of her face, forcing her to look me in the eyes. _

"_Please stop crying." I whispered and she stopped gasping and composed herself. I smiled softly and put my forehead against hers. She smiled… but then her smiled dropped and she threw herself over me… and got a sword plunged into her back. She gasped and fell beside me and a very surprised looking Thresh back away from her and then he started running away. I was on my feet in a second; I don't think I have ever been so mad in my life. I began running but then I heard Aseria groan and it brought me to a halt. I turned back to her. She was on the ground, blood pouring out of her back. She saved me. I knelt down beside her and took her in my arms. As I hold her, her blood soaks my shirt. I'm not crying, but I was talking quickly to her. I was telling her she was going to be ok, she would live. But I knew that was a lie. She was going to die. Her head rested against my arm, a tear sliding down her cheek. She looked up at me, her expression weak and frightened._

"_You're going to be ok. I promise." I whispered and wiped the tear off her cheek. _

"_Cato… I'm scared." she whispered, her voice barely audible. _

"_Don't be. Listen to me Aseria, you are going to be fine. Please… please, you have to be strong Aseria!" I whisper. I pull her closer to me, but I could feel her growing weaker in my arms. I felt a lump in my throat… I have never felt that before. I have never cried. She reached up and touched my cheek and I put my hand over hers. A faint smile appears on her lips, and then her head dropped back and her hand slipped from my face. _

_I really was alone now._

_I laid her on the ground and closed her lilac eyes. She was still smiling. I rose from my spot and began running after Thresh. He will pay for what he has done. But then something catches my eye and I stop running. There is the purple flower that Aseria showed me. It is glowing in the soft light, and it brings a smile to my lips. Goodbye, sweet Aseria…_

**_Please review! _**


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